form y separately published work icon The Devil's Playground single work   film/TV  
Issue Details: First known date: 1976... 1976 The Devil's Playground
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Film Details - The Film House , 1976

Producers:

Fred Schepisi

Production Companies:

The Film House

Finance Organisations:

Australian Film Commission

Director of Photography:

Ian Baker

Editors:

Brian Kavanagh

Production Designers:

Trevor Ling

Composer:

Bruce Smeaton

Cast:

Incl. Arthur Dignam (Brother Francine), Nick Tate (Brother Victor), Simon Burke (Tom Allen), Charles McCallum (Brother Sebastian), John Frawley (Brother Celian), Jonathan Hardy (Brother Arnold), Gerry Duggan (Brother Hanrahan), Peter Cox (Brother James), John Diedrich (Fitz), Thomas Keneally (Father Marshall), Sheila Florance (Mrs Sullivan), Alan Cinis (Waite), Richard Morgan (Smith), Rowan Currie (Casey), Gary Pixton (Tomkin), Michael David (Turner), Warren Coleman (Westaway), Marc Gough (Brown), Andrew Court (Woolmore), Brett Murphy (Tierman), Wayne Comley (Mahoney), Anne Phelan (Girl in pub), Jillian Archer (Girl in pub), Bill Kelly (Farmer), Gerda Nicolson (Mrs Allen), John Proper (Mr Allen), Deborah Schepisi (Child), Janine Schepisi (Child), Quentin Schepisi (Child), Jason Schepisi (Child), Vicki Bray (Miss Weatherhead), Hannah Govan (Miss Doyle), Danee Lindsay (Lynette), Michael Carman (Nigel Ryan), Iain Murton (Brian Anderson).

Release Dates:

1. Australian premiere held at the Bryson Cinema, Melbourne, on 12 August 1976. Released in the USA in October 1976. It also screened at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival (France) during the 'Directors' Fortnight,' at the 1976 Sydney and Melbourne film festivals, and at the 1976 Toronto Film Festival (Canada).
2. Released in Australia on videocassette format in 1981 by Thorn-EMI and re-released in 1988 by Today Home Entertainment. Released on DVD format in 2008 by Umbrella Entertainment.

Location:

  • Shot largely on location at Werribee Park near Melbourne.

Awards:

  • Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards (1976) Best Achievement in Cinematography - Ian Baker
  • Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards (1976) Best Actor in a Lead Role - Nick Tate Tied with Simon Burke for The Devil's Playground (1976).
  • Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards (1976) Best Direction - Fred Schepisi
  • Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards (1976) Best Film - Fred Schepisi

Notes:

1. Produced on a budget of around $300,000, which was largely financed by the Australian Film Commission and Fred Schepisi's own company The Film House, The Devil's Playground was distributed by Schepisi himself.
2. Further reference: Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper. Australian Film 1900-1977, A Guide to Feature Film Production (1980, q.v.), p. 383.

Subjects:
Settings:
  • Victoria,
  • 1953
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